Ael'nonùvah
The ael'nonùvah '''are a race of elves that are native to Eusiac. They are split into two cultures. One culture is a group of loosely-allied nomadic tribes that are continually on the move while the other has permanent settlements in Mithraleen. They are called ''Forest Elves ''by those in the Mithraleenean Empire and ''hárshés YAR-CHAYZZ by the Essence Elves, which means ranger ''or ''archer. ''They are also called ''fatiir ''by the Essence Elves, which means ''brother. ''The nomads of this race call themselves ''nóhodál, ''homeless. The other group call themselves é''nos én Lokve, ''which means ''one in Lokve. Appearance and Physiology The ael'nonùvah are biologically similar to the ael'ùvah. Despite these similarities, the ael'nonùvah differ from their cousins in many ways. For example, they mature quicker than the ael'ùvah, with males being sexually mature at an age of one hundred and twenty and females being at the same stage at the age of one hundred. They are also shorter lived than the ael'ùvah. The average al'nonùvah can live to the age of one thousand five hundred years. They are taller and generally stronger than the ael'ùvah. The average height falls between 6' 2" and 7' 2". As with the ael'ùvah, red hair is uncommon. Brown and black are the most common hair colours. While the ael'ùvah can only have blue or green eyes, the ael'nonùvah have a larger variety. Brown and grey eye colours are not uncommon. History Early History Thiëtism The ael'nonùvah were originally ael'ùvah that belonged to a religion known as Thiëtism. The Thiëtism movement was started by the prophet Thiët. It grew so powerful and influential that it forced the ruling class of ael'ùvah to act. They chose to exile the Thiëtists to an island off the southern coast of Gil-Navarié called Fomír. Exile At first, the Thiëtists were content with their island. It had much in the way of food and resources. However, it had many predators and poisonous plants. This was combined with the fact that the population of the Thiëtists had swelled and soon overpopulation was a large problem. Eventually, the Thiëtists changed over the course of a few thousand years to help combat the threats on Fomír. They were now the ael'nonùvah. The Ael'nonùvahian Rebellions Prelude to War The ael'nonùvah were at first regarded as equal to their ael'ùvahian cousins, nevertheless, a disdain towards them grew in the ael'ùvah and they were soon branded second-class citizens. Initially, the ael'nonùvah accepted their place, however, soon it reached the point where the ael'nonùvah could freely be attacked and killed without any action done about it. Many ael'nonùvah saw this as a repeat of the treatment the menagi had been forced to endure. They wished to prevent themselves being forced out of their homes, like the menagi had been. Protests began, demanding better treatment. When the protesters were attacked by guards, they turned into riots. These riots further intensified into fully-fledged rebellion. Rebellion The first rebellion took place in Gíl. Due to immigration from Fomír, Gíl had a considerable ael'nonùvahian population. In fact, most of the population consisted of ael'nonùvah. The ael'ùvah in the city were kicked out and Gíl became the base of the rebellion. Other riots and uprisings soon followed. The southern coast of Gil-Navarié was a tense and chaotic place. Gil-Gotham was the second city to declare itself an ael'nonùvahian city. The rebels ousted the military from the city and moved the capital to Gil-Gotham. From this city, they sent out raiding parties to attack the military supply lines of the ael'ùvah as well as enemy soldiers. The city of Físros was besieged but the rebels were defeated by a large ael'ùvahian army that had been sent from the capital. Despite rallying a considerable amount of support, the rebels were unable to match the skill and power of the ael'ùvahian armies. Even in the sea, where the ael'nonùvah had a considerable advantage due to the ports in Fomír that they controlled, the ael'ùvah commonly defeated them with superior-built ships from Sangéth. The leaders of the ael'nonùvahian rebels decided to only attack the enemy where they were weakest and avoided direct confrontation. Retreat After many years of fighting, the rebellions were put down until only Gíl remained in control of the rebels. The soldiers could not use the magic that had been so effective against the menagi or they risked destroying the city. They, instead, were forced to resort to convential siege weapons, something that the ael'ùvah didn't have in any great number. It took several months to break down the walls. When the soldiers finally broke into the city, they found the ael'nonùvah gone. Any ael'nonùvah left behind were slain. At the same time, in Fomír, the ael'nonùvah had likewise fled, fearing punishment. A great fleet left Fomír, carrying the ael'nonùvah to safety. Life on Eusiac Landing at Donton The fleet from Fomír and the fleet from Gíl met up far west of Gil-Navarié. With naval patrols around the perimeter of the fleet, the ael'nonùvah were safe from ael'ùvahian attack. They sailed north, coming to the southern coast of Eusiac. They landed at Donton Bay, the bay that stretched between the cities of Vitae and Donton. They burned their ships, so as not to leave a trace, and moved forward. They entered the Heartlands and began a new civilisation, safe from the ael'ùvah and any other groups that despised them. They built a grand city called Lár-Tidhor, modelled on the cities of Gil-Navarié. Many other cities were likewise built and the ael'nonùvah had recovered their civilisation, somewhat. They built great cathedrals and libraries. Sometime during this period, the ael'nonùvah discovered and tamed the ruvahequii, their famous horses. Contact with the Hardeteels Initial Relationship The ael'nonùvah soon met the hardeteels. Initially, the ael'nonùvah were friendly towards the hardeteels. The hardeteels were suspicious of any new things, having witnessed heavy losses at the hands of orks and trolls. They feared that the ael'nonùvah were a more advanced threat and that they would trick them. The hardeteels decided to attack the ael'nonùvah pre-emptively. In a lightning attack on an ael'nonùvahian convoy, the hardeteels destroyed all of the caravans and killed the king, who had hurried to the convoy's aid, along with his escort of cavalry. The ael'nonùvah were horrified by this. They viewed it as a betrayal. Angered by the actions of the hardeteels, the ael'nonùvah declared war on them. War The war was brutal in length and violence. It lasted for several centuries and saw the deaths of many kings and princes, both hardeteel and ael'nonùvah. The death toll of the war was very high. Over a million hardeteels and ael'nonùvah died over the course of the war, which represented a significant proportion of the entire population of both races. The war was most bloody towards the end. The last few decades were highlighted by events such as the Sacking of Lár-Tidhor and the Battle of the Green Hills. Overall, these two battles contributed to over a fifth of the casualties of the entire war. The war was only brought to an end when the ael'nonùvah fled into the Great Forest and hid there for several decades. The hardeteels thought themselves the victors and colonised the areas once owned by the ael'nonùvah. The war cemented a hate between the two races that would last for a long time. Aftermath The war significantly weakened the ael'nonùvah and severely reduced their population. Only a few thousand of them were left. The war inspired pacifism within many individuals. Some ael'nonùvah felt that the war had been caused by their extravagent ways. They believed that they had been punished for living a lavish lifestyle and by deserting the teachings of Thiët had brought it upon themselves. This view split the ael'nonùvah in two and two groups became apparant. One group wished to lead a simpler, nomadic lifestyle while the other wished to live in more permanent habitation. Those wishing to live in grand cities moved from the Great Forest and travelled for several months, until they arrived in the Lokvius Palmonatia, in Mithraleen. They founded the cities of Byli-Galad and Lyordasar. The nomads roamed mainland Eusiac, splitting into large family groups that would unite when under threat. Imperial Influence With the rise of the Mithraleenean Empire, some ael'nonùvah felt threatened. Despite having little contact with the empire, the ael'nonùvah felt they would be attacked. However, the Mithraleenean Empire was unusually nice to the ael'nonùvah and formed a strong alliance with the ael'nonùvah of Byli-Galad. This alliance was extended to the nomadic tribes. The ael'nonùvah have assisted the empire on numerous occassions. It is quite common for the ael'nonùvah to go into battle with the Mithraleenean Legions. Habitat and Population Originally, the ael'nonùvah lived in Fomír. It was there they developed their great strength and resistance to poison. They also learned how to tame even the most savage wildlife. Once they were allowed to return to Gil-Navarié, after many years in exile, many immigrated to the cities along the southern coasts. Cities such as Gíl and Gil-Gotham had high numbers of ael'nonùvah. After the Ael'nonùvahian Rebellions, the ael'nonùvah of Fomír and Gil-Navarié fled and landed on the mainland. There were two distinct groups. One group became a nomadic people, living in loosely-related family tribes while the other made a permanent settlement in Mithraleen. The females are more fertile than their ael'ùvahian counterparts. As a result, it is common for there to be more than five children per family. However, due to the tough lifestyle, many children die before they reach full maturity. Personality The ael'nonùvah differ dramatically from their ael'ùvahian cousins in their personality. Most of them are humbler than the ael'ùvah and, despite a slight dislike of the Khârg, they can get on well with most races. They are generally more forgiving than the ael'ùvah and their leaders are only there to oversee and protect their people. Like the ael'ùvah, there is a great family bond. The tribes are actually large family groups and most tribes are related in some way. It is very rare for someone to be kicked out of a tribe. The punishment is only reserved for murderers and other foul criminals. Culture and Religion Most ael'nonùvah believe in some sort of religion. The nomadic group of ael'nonùvah believe in a religion heavily-influenced by their early Thiëtist beliefs. The other group's religion is less influenced but they still have some similarities. The religions both teach that humility and charity are the virtues that Lokve holds dearest and that they should act like him. Misplaced pride and arrogance are said to be the most dangerous emotions and should not be shown. Unlike the ael'ùvah, they do not believe that Lokve takes only one form. Rather, they believe that he is shapeless but can take any form he desires. The ael'nonùvah have two distinct cultures. They are split into nomads and those that dwell in Byli-Galad and other cities. The nomads are continually travelling. Some have certain areas that they stick to but many travel the whole of Eusiac, staying in their camps. Those of the other culture have slight ael'ùvahian influences. Their cities and towns are generally decadent and kept clean and crime in held in the lowest regard. There is a slight disparity between the rich and the poor but the poor are still afforded some luxuries that they would not get if they lived in Gil-Navarié. Notable Individuals *Areto'' *Assarothë' *Vonod'' Trivia *The ael'nonùvah were once ael'ùvah but they evolved after being exiled to the island of Fomír. Category:Races Category:Validor Category:Elves